The Victory of Forgiveness

So much of my life has been spent with the on-going struggle of forgiveness. If you are like me, it's hard...it's tough to forgive. Have you ever been wronged to the point that forgiveness to that person isn't on the radar? Have you ever seen injustice in such a way that you are convinced forgiveness will never be issued? Take a look with me at the Gospel for just a minute. I pray you can see a glimpse of what has rocked my world today.

"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." - Matthew 6:14-15, ESV

From this powerful passage in the middle of the Sermon on the Mound, I see the beauty of the Gospel. What is the Gospel? The Gospel teaches us that God the Father in His grace has forgiven sinners and has welcomed them into the perfect righteousness of His Son. When you take a deeper look at the Greek word for forgive in this text, you will discover the word aphiemi; which translates, "to throw away, to leave alone, to send off." This is DEEP. This is HUGE. The Gospel teaches us that in our own sinfulness and rebellion, God the Father has rescued us by throwing His just wrath off of us and onto the cross of His Son. It goes far beyond words. It goes far beyond, "I'm sorry" or, "I'll never do that again." 1 John 1:9 can offer more joy in that truth. Get the picture? Forgiveness is defined by the Gospel.

With that...let's return to our dilemma. If you are like me, there are people in my life that I struggle to forgive. Left up to my own actions, I won't forgive them. Left up to the Gospel, forgiveness to others offers the genuine definition of God's love for sinners. Take a few minutes today and think about someone in your life that you are struggling to forgive. Got that person in mind? What should you do next? Think about the Gospel. Think about the definition of forgiveness. Are you willing to first look at your own fallen state and what God has done for you? Now, are you willing to throw off your own perceived right to show your own justice to that person? We are not God. He is just. We aren't. Forgive by throwing off your right to get even. Forgive by hurling off your temptation to speak ugly. Forgive by sending off your anger with intercession prayer. Forgive by walking in His Gospel today.

I have found forgiveness today only by what God has done, not by what I've attempted to do. What a victory.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Dave